Pir Sohawa to Lohi Dandi Trek Page 1

Pir Sohawa to Loh-i-Dandi Trek, Islamabad

Total Distance: 6.4 kilometers

Estimated time (Both ways): 3:45 hours

(Coordinates: 33° 46' 07" North, 73° 07' 19" East)

(Shaikh Muhammad Ali)

3D Google Map of the Trek: Elevation 3,712 - 2,865 Feet

The reason why I climb mountains is not an issue of

geography. I am of the two worlds wherever I go and this is

why I am so anxious to return to the mountains; sometimes

to work through some of the conflicts churning within

me….Shaikh Muhammed Ali

Pir Sohawa to Lohi Dandi Trek Page 2

Overview:

On the 15th of October 2011, being a Saturday; I took my family to Pir Sohawa in the

Margalla Hills for sight-seeing and enjoying the mountain chill in the October

weather. We ended up having lunch there. It was the first time that we noticed a

small board which seems to have recently been erected by the Capital

Development Authority (CDA) which mentioned a new trek from Pir Sohawa to Loh-i-

Dandi.

(The trek from Pir Sohawa to Loh-i-Dandi)

This gave me another reason to come visit this spot again and attempt the hike.

Come the 22nd of October, 2011; Adil and myself decided to attempt this hike.

Although I invited other colleagues i.e. Hassan Nasir Zaidi, Syed Wasim Hashmi, Awais

Ahmed and Anees Sadozai but they all were preoccupied and thus Adil and I after

saying our Fajr prayers around 5:45 a.m. and a quick breakfast set forth to this

escapade.

We passed through scenic views in the Margalla Hills while trying to capture them

through the eye of my camera.

Pir Sohawa to Lohi Dandi Trek Page 3

(Panoramic view of the Shah Faisal Mosque from the Margalla Hills)

Around 6:30 a.m. after passing the Islamabad zoo we had reached the ‘Banyan

Shade’, a view point at an elevation of 3,300 feet at 6:56 a.m. and stopped to

capture this view too.

(Adil posing at the Banyan Shade)

At 7:04 a.m. we were on top of Talhar village and paused here too to take a picture.

Pir Sohawa to Lohi Dandi Trek Page 4

(A top view of Talhar village from Margalla Hills)

By 7:10 a.m. we were at the starting point of the trek and after talking this picture

started the trek precisely at 7:15 a.m.

(Adil and I at the starting point of the trek)

Before attempting this hike, I had checked the weather forecast in the previous

evening and the weather was predicted to be cloudy but since we had already

made up our mind, we recited the Kalima and off we went. At the initial stages the

trek was well laid out but as usual being a mountain terrain; the trek had changed

pattern due to small landslides on the way.

Pir Sohawa to Lohi Dandi Trek Page 5

(We passed through this beautiful spot at 7:30 a.m.)

By 8:00 a.m. we reached a spot which seemed like a dead end. On our left was a

straight cliff which was almost impossible to attempt while on the right there was a

steep fall. The only way forward was to go straight but it was descending too fast but

seemed to be our only choice. My hunches told me to keep treading this path and

within half hour with much difficulty we reached a pass between a rock and a hard

place and the trek became visible again. We paused here to take a quick stop and

had water around 8:29 a.m.

(We were here by 8:29 a.m. Rock and Banyan Vines)

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Around 8:40 a.m. we reached the point where there was a sign to take off our shoes

since we were about to descend towards the cave of Loh-i-Dandi where Bari Imam

spent 12 years in meditation and praying to God.

(On top of the cave of Loh-i-Dandi with Islamabad in the back drop)

From this spot we descended towards the cave where Adil wanted to go for the last

two years. We both went inside the cave one by one since the mouth of the cave is

unusually small and it takes a lot of guts to get inside it due to the myths and legend

surrounding the cave.

We could see this view from this top although did not descend to the Langar Khana.

(The Langar Khana at Loh-i-Dandi)

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(Adil coming out of the cave)

If Adil’s mother was here, she probably would have never allowed him to venture

inside this cave but men being men, they always do what they got to do. LOL! Adil

was overjoyed to visit this cave and was taken by its intrigue and splendor. We almost

spent 20 minutes here before we decided to return.

(Adil posing next to the mouth of the cave)

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The trek on the way back was arduous and a tough call but since our car was

parked at Pir Sohawa, we had no choice but to return there. We just stopped

between the Vines and the Rock area for some snacks. To add fuel to fire, it started

drizzling as soon as we started to return and were on the tough steep patch. We tried

as fast as we could to get out of this area since it was not just steep but the soil was

loose too and with rain adding to this landscape would have been disastrous at this

juncture.

It took us around 1:45 hours to get back to the starting point where we reached

exhausted while piercing through chilly winds and a constant drizzle. We finally

reached this spot at 10:40 a.m.

We took some more pictures of markers around us while enjoying the light drizzle.

(This particular spot is at an altitude of 4,000 feet in the Margalla Hills)

Pir Sohawa to Lohi Dandi Trek Page 9

I did not know that the Daman-e-Koh was 11 kms from here while the Marghazar or

Islamabad zoo was at a distance of 15 kms from here.

(A new marker erected by CDA)

The entire expedition took us around 3:45 hours i.e. 6.4 kilometers but we both took

this in our stride and enjoyed the hike thoroughly. Good that we attempted this trek in

October since it would get much chillier in November with scattered rain and making

the hike much more difficult.

On the way back we looked for a Chai – Paratha breakfast but it had started raining

and most of the Dhabas were closed and thus we finally ended up having breakfast

at home. Nothing can beat the parathas made by Adil’s mother!

Shaikh Muhammed Ali ‘The Wandering Dervish’

E-mail: dushkashaikh@gmail.com

Cell: +00-92-321-5072996

13th November 2011, 06:55 p.m. (PST)